If the show wants to turn the ratings into an upwards swing, I don't think this is the way to go. But I'm not in the businnes, so what do I know. Except when producers are doing damage control.

Other celebs expressing interest in taking part on the show are Olympians Ryan Lochtne (sp?), and members of the Fierce Five gymnastics team (I thought they were the Fab Five?). Jordyn Weiber and Kyla (can't remember her last name) have said they'd love to do the show.

Actor Antonio Sabato jr, Paul Reubens, and actress Stacy Dash have all been campaigning in the past to do the show. Also, I've heard Ann Romney's name in the mix. I know she was in the audience, so I don't know if that's where that rumor is coming from or not.

I'd be all for a reality/political/controversial stunt casting free season, among other things that they could fix. The show seems to tweak the things that don't need it.

Re: *Dancing with the Stars Season 16 (Spoilers & Speculation)*

After watching a bunch of athletes put me to sleep on All-Stars, I'm ready to open up all possibilities again for finding contestants. The only criteria should be, "Do they know how to be entertaining?" I don't think Bachelorette contestants fall under that, but Pee Wee Herman sure does.

The season finale “didn’t work out” and symbolized the kinds of ratings troubles that ABC and other major broadcasters have seen recently, Disney CFO Jay Rasulo says. “Most of the networks are down and frankly a lot has to do with single shows” as opposed to troubles at ongoing series, he told the UBS Global Media and Communications Conference. When Dancing With The Stars decided to bring back celebrities from previous seasons “we thought it was a great idea,” Rasulo says. “Turns out people didn’t want to see people who could dance. They wanted people who couldn’t dance. So it’s not easy to be a taste-master in programming a network.” Unlike CBS’ Les Moonves, Rasulo doesn’t blame DVRs for the networks’ troubles. Although DVR penetration is up about 7 percentage points this year, “the number of individuals who are fast-forwarding through ads has declined, so it’s had a net benefit.”

Rasulo also says that video streaming has only had a “minimal” impact on the networks. “I don’t think it’s detracting from the advertising we’re being paid for….[YouTube] is not a place where premium advertisers are spending significant dollars.” Nevertheless, Disney wants advertisers to pay for viewers who watch up to seven days after a show airs — up from three. Rasulo also wants Nielsen to “measure where people consume media.” Still, he says, “at the end of the day, if you have great programming, you have great ratings.”

I think the suits are finally getting it: DWTS needs fewer stars who take the competition overly seriously, or are looking to use it as a way to build their self-esteem; and more stars who actually know how to be entertaining for a living.

Re: *Dancing with the Stars Season 16 (Spoilers & Speculation)*

Originally Posted by Fanny Mare

I knew that would freak you out!

Freaked out, and grossed out.

I can see her stiff wooden little body now, glommed onto some pro or other in a barely-there outfit (but I have to be a good role model for my daughter! Please.) and all 96 of her shiny white veneers smiling for the cameras. And her fans will probably keep her on until way too late in the season.